Billboard Arabia, a partnership between SRMG and Billboard, has announced the launch of its website and flagship charts, highlighting the transformation taking place in the Arab music industry. Billboard Arabia will champion Arab artists, providing a new platform to tell their stories and gain worldwide recognition and popularity. This launch aligns with SRMG’s strategy to provide content that meets the demands of audiences and nurtures aspiring talent in the MENA region. It also represents the Group’s dedication to supporting content creators in the Arab world, elevating them onto a global stage.
This launch comes at a time when the MENA region is recognized as one of the world’s fastest-growing music hubs, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. The region’s music industry is set to increase to $670 million by 2027, driven by the region’s talent, with Saudi Arabia leading this growth as a prominent music market in the Middle East.
The newly launched website will be the go-to source for music enthusiasts to discover Arab artists and their music through insightful reviews of the latest releases, exclusive artist interviews, event coverage, original photography, and special video content – all in one centralized location. Billboard Arabia is focused on delivering timely and evergreen content that celebrates the past, spotlights the present, and inspires the future. The website will also spotlight music legends and emerging stars with iconic digital cover stories, celebrating the diversity of the Arab music landscape.
Central to Billboard Arabia’s launch are two global flagship charts – the Billboard Arabia Artist 100 and the Billboard Arabia Hot 100 for Arabic music. The Hot 100 showcases the most streamed Arabic songs, featuring Sherine Abdel Wahab’s “Kalam Eneih” (1st) and “El Watar Al Hassas” (2nd), Al Shami’s “Ya Leil W Yal Ein” (3rd), Ayed’s “Rdy” (4th) and ElGrandeToto’s (FT. Hamza) “Dellali” (5th) rounding out the top 5. The Artist 100 highlights the most popular Arab artists, with Sherine Abdel Wahab (1st), ElGrandeToto (2nd), Marwan Pablo (3rd), Amr Diab (4th) and Ahmed Saad (5th) at the top. These weekly charts will be released on the Billboard Arabia website and social media platforms every Thursday.
The Billboard Arabia charts follow the well-established parameters set by Billboard over eight decades, making it the global benchmark for chart compilation. Drawing data from leading digital streaming platforms like Spotify, Anghami, YouTube, and Apple Music, spanning over 200 territories, the charts reflect Arab music preferences globally. Additionally, starting in early 2024, Billboard Arabia will introduce eight genre-specific charts to showcase the diversity of Arab music, including Khaleeji, Egyptian, Magharabi, Levant, Arabic HipHop, Arabic Indie, Shelat, and Mahraganat.
Billboard Arabia’s weekly charts provide critical structure to the Arab music industry, enabling both established and new artists a platform to reach wider audiences within the region and beyond. For the first time, the Arab music community will have well-defined genres, recognition for its artists, and an essential point of reference – all driven by what fans love and stream.
Billboard Arabia’s website and flagship charts are now live and can be accessed at www.billboardarabia.com. Explore the chart-topping songs and artists, and discover the latest music news through Billboard Arabia’s engaging content.
